In northern Shan State, the Military Council has launched an offensive against the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Arakan Army (AA) has joined forces with the TNLA to provide all-out resistance.

A source close to AA told Narinjara “There are AA troops operating in cooperation with TNLA forces inside Shan territory. The Military Council has been attacking their joint forces since around 3:00 PM on December 7 th , deploying warplanes and helicopters. The AA is also fighting back together with our brothers in arms”.

The Military Council’s offensive started at 3:00 PM on December 7th, with constant fighting until the morning of December 9 th .

The source related, “They have been attacking the TNLA using jets and Mi-35 helicopters. The AA forces are fighting together with their brothers in arms, TNLA. And the fighting is still fierce”, he commented.

The fighting is taking place in Namhsan township, a Ta’ang area in northern Shan State. The air force and the army are still on the offensive based on the regime’s outposts based on the hilltops in Mantong and Namhsan, locals said.

Shwe Phee Myay News Agency also reported that the Military Council launched a massive air raid and started the offensive on a TNLA base in Namhsan township, a Ta’ang area.

"Regime troops were dropped by 6 helicopters near the TNLA camp, as well as two jets conducted airstrikes, those ignited the battles.”

The AA and the Military Council reached an informal ceasefire agreement on November 26 in Rakhine state. But in the areas of their brothers in arms, AA troops are cooperating with ally forces to resist the Military Council, a top AA official confirmed to Narinjara.